NBA All-Star 2015 3-Point Shootout Preview

The 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend may be the first time in history the 3-point contest is more anticipated than the rapidly deteriorating slam-dunk contest. Although the league is going back to the original format this year, the dunk contest currently consists of unproven and rather unexciting participants. Since Nate Robinson and Dwight Howard‘s epic dunk duels, the dunk contest has fell flat on expectations. Last year, a respectable field of Paul George, John Wall, and more was completely wasted by a hideous format. This year’s dunk contest field, consisting of a chronic lack of household names, is juxtaposed with the stacked 3-point contest.

Best 3-point shooter in the league this year? Check.

The reigning 3-point shootout champion? Check

Two equally-lethal shooters to fill out the field? Check.

Not one, but two of the electric Splash Brothers? Double Check.

Kyle Korver, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Marco Belinelli, Wesley Matthews and J.J. Redick will participate in this year’s 3-point contest. All are renowned shooters who can not be left open, and have the knack to become extremely flammable. The NBA did a stellar job of filling out this contest to give the fans something special to watch this All-Star break.

Korver currently holds the highest 3pt % in the NBA (Image courtesy of thesportsquotient.com)

I believe the top three are undebatable. They are the best 3-point shooters in the league, even though it seems like they are guarded for all 94 feet of the court. These three players will go to the final round while the latter three will be sent packing.

The final round is where things get a little cloudy. Korver is the more consistent shooter (53 percent), but Curry and Thompson possess an ability to knock down threes unconsciously. Curry can explode for 35+ points any given night, while Klay just dropped 37 points on 9-9 3pt shooting a few night ago ( in a single quarter). The Splash Bros. uncanny ability to catch fire leaves them unpredictable, as they could honestly not miss a single shot.

The 3-point contest this year will be something to see. It’s complete field and elite shooters will make it a must-watch event. The 2015 shootout could be one of the best 3-point contests, and maybe even All-Star events in NBA history. Can the most efficient shooter in the league, a Splash Brother, or a dark horse bring home the hardware? Regardless, the 3-point shootout will be the event to watch this All-Star weekend.